1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for unloading rails from a freight car on which the rails are arrayed to extend in a longitudinal direction of the freight car, which comprises rail guide heads for guiding and centering the rails drawn off the freight car.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German utility model No. 295 01 077 discloses a rail unloading apparatus comprising rail guide heads mounted on the rear end of a freight car transporting the rails and cars pulled along by a rope, which run on the track and serve to support the rails drawn off the freight car. Long rails cannot be drawn off the freight car with this apparatus because the required pulling forces are too great.
Other, structurally complex apparatus of this general type are known from German utility models Nos. 297 01 016 and 297 124 216.
It is the primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the first-indicated type which enables even long rails requiring high pulling forces to be unloaded from freight cars while having a relatively simple structure.
The above and other objects are accomplished according to the invention with an apparatus for unloading rails from a freight car on which the rails are arrayed to extend in a longitudinal direction of the freight car, which comprises a track-bound car extending in the longitudinal direction and having opposite ends, and a rail guiding unit positioned at each one of the car ends. Each rail guiding unit comprises a pair of rail guide heads having guide rollers for centering a respective one of the rails therebetween. The rail guide heads of a first one of the rail guiding units are positioned at one of the car ends and are displaceable in a horizontal plane perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, and drives are provided for vertically adjusting the rail guide heads of the first rail guiding unit.
The arrangement of two rail guiding units spaced from each other at opposite ends of the car makes possible the very economical use of a regulation flat car widely used in rail freight transportation, the retrofitting of the car for unloading the rails being fairly minimal. In addition, the two rail guiding units spaced apart in the longitudinal direction assure a stable guidance of the rails pulled off the freight car and prevent them from tilting.